As summer quickly draws to a close, you won’t be able to turn on the TV or page through the flyers in your local newspaper without seeing back to school deals and steals. Before you round up the kids and head to the store to gather the supplies they’ll need for the year, take an inventory of everything you have in your home. Organizing the items you have can give you a better idea of what you’ll actually need to spend money on. In addition, you’ll be forced to organize your home! Here are some tips on getting your house organized for back to school.
- Reuse and Recycle. Inspect the condition of your child’s backpack and school supplies from the previous year. If anything has managed to hold up, you won’t need to replace it. If last year’s items are no longer usable or your child insists on making upgrades, donate what you can and toss the rest. This will clear up space for this year’s school supplies.
- Categorize and Organize. If you still have projects and papers from last year laying around that you want to keep for sentimental value or they simply contain useful information, invest in a filing cabinet and organize them. If the projects or keepsakes are larger, use corrugated boxes and store them in an attic or garage. If they are drawings or papers that can be photocopied and turned into a book, do so! It’s a great way to preserve your child’s work and save on space.
- Create Storage Spots. Designate an area for your child to store their backpack, jacket, and shoes when they come home from school every day. Having all of their belongings in one place makes getting them out the door in the morning one hundred times easier. If you have more than one child, mimic the cubbies at their school in your home’s entry way or laundry room.
- Clear the Kitchen of Clutter. Organize your pantry and refrigerator. Create a specific shelf for school snacks in the pantry and divvy them up by type of snack. Have one part of your refrigerator be the lunch bag spot. Your kids will easily be able to find their lunches and grab a snack to go in times when no one else is around to help them out.
- Appoint a Homework Hangout. The best spot for your child to do homework may not necessarily be their bedroom or the family room. You want to create a section of the house where they can put their heads down and get their work done. Free the space of any distractions, like TVs or cell phones, and make sure they have a hard surface to work on. A special homework nook may be just the thing to get your child to complete their homework without a fuss!
- Make Organizing a Family Project. Your child may have a “Do Not Enter” sign on their bedroom door and enjoy their privacy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want you around. Make it a point to go through their clothes together and get rid of items that they have outgrown, whether that be in fit or style. Decluttering their room will be beneficial when it comes to your child’s productivity. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with your kids. Rid the room of any mess to make way for any chaos the upcoming school year may bring.
A new school year is a fresh start for both you and your child. There’s no better way to start anew than with a clean slate and a clean house. Prepare for all of the new memories to come this year and get your home organized for back to school.
For more tips on creating an organized space, contact Angela Rowe, a Marion, IL interior decorator.